Chest protector



March 24, 1964 F. W. GLAHE CHEST PROTECTOR United States Patent 3,125,762 CHEST PROTECTGR Frederick W. Glahe, La Grange, Ill., assignor to Wilson Athletic Goods Mfg. Co., Inc., River Grove, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 228,480 8 Claims. (Cl. 22)

This invention relates to chest protectors, and more particularly to chest protectors of the padded type worn by baseball catchers.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a chest protector which affords optimum protection for vital parts of the body and which also conforms closely to the body contours of the wearer.

In the past, it has been customary to separate padded segments of chest protectors by vertical and horizontal seams extending across and longitudinally of the protector in order to impart flexibility to the protector and hold the padding in place.

It is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved arrangement of the seams in a padded chest protector which, in addition to enabling the protector to conform closely to body contours without undesirable bulges, also contributes materially to better protection of vital body areas.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a chest protector embodying a preferred form of this inventionwherein the parts of the protector are shown in positions commensurate to those assumed for conformation to the contours of the front of a wearers body;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the chest protector shown in FIG. 1 and includes one type of harness adapted to use for holding the protector in place relative to a wearers body; and

FIG. 3 is a top sectional view drawn to a larger scale than FIG. 1 and wherein the section is taken substantially as shown by lines 33 and accompanying arrows in FIG. 1.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention which is depicted in the drawings for illustrative purposes, there is illustrated a chest protector of a type adapted to use by baseball catchers for protective purposes. In the illustrated protector, front and back parts 12 and 13 respectively are made of relatively flexible sheet material and have edge contours shaped to conform generally to the front of a wearers body. At the mid-region of the top, a recess 14 is provided to fit around the neck of the wearer, while portions 15 and 16 extend upwardly over the fronts of the wearers shoulders on opposite sides of the neck recess. The neck recess is generally concave in external curvature, while the edges of the shoulder portions 15 and 16 are externally convex in curvature. At opposite sides, and below the shoulder portions 15 and 16, the outer edges of the protector are externally concave, so as to narrow the structure to an extent that it does not interfere with free movement of the wearers arms. Below the side portions of externally concave curvature, the edge contours are convex to broaden the structure for more extended protection of the wearers body.

In the disclosed structure, the back part 13 is smaller than the front part 12, so that when assembled and padded, the back part 13 is generally flat, while padding material 17 of a relatively soft, somewhat flexible and a somewhat resilient shock-absorbing nature placed between the front and back parts extends forwardly from the back part 13 and fills out segments of the front part 3,125,762 Patented Mar. 24, 1964 12. Around the outer margin, the front and back parts are secured together, as by a folded binding strip 18 and a suitable sewed seam 19.

In order to provide flexibility for close conformation to the body of the wearer and to allow for movements in use, as well as to provide more adequate protection for vital portions of the wearers body, the chest protector of this invention is divided into padded segments which differ materially in contour and disposition from those which have been utilized in previous protectors adapted to a like purpose. That is, and as illustrated, the protector is divided into a full width upper region 20, a lower mid-region 22 which is narrower than the upper region, and oppositely disposed lower side regions 23 and 24 by dividing seams 25 and 26 which extend upwardly from the bottom in generally parallel and spaced relationship to one another to positions somewhat above the longitudinal mid-region of the protector and then diverge outwardly at portions 27 and 28 to the upper regions of the externally concave side edges of the protector. As disclosed, the bottom ends of the seams 25 and 26 are spaced apart approximately one-third of the average width of the chest protector. The upper region 2! including the shoulder portions 15 and 16 and the lower mid-region 22, are divided into spaced horizontally disposed segments 29 of relatively uniform widths by a piurality of horizontal seams 30 in relatively parallel relationship to one another. The lower side regions 23 and 24 of the protector are divided into segments 32 and 33 of relatively uniform width by substantially parallel dividing seams 34 and 35. For effecting improved conformation to the wearers body, the seams 34 and 35 extend upwardly in oblique relationship to the horizontal. In the disclosed structure, the seams 34 and 35 are substantially aligned with the horizontal seams 30 of the lower mid-region and extend upwardly at approximately 45, while extending from the seams 25 and 26 to the adjacent outer margins of the protector.

Each of the defined segments of the several portions of the chest protector herein disclosed is partially defined by seams through the front and back parts and then filled with the padding 17 by being individually stuffed as the protector is made and before the segment is completely closed in order to provide the desired protection. It may be understood that with the disclosed arrangement of portions and segments, the protector gives better protection clear across the chest area and down the midregion of the body, while the seams between the segments provide flexibility which affords body conformation without bulges. Furthermore, the separated longitudinal seams on opposite sides of the mid-region which diverge at the upper portion of the protector, as well as the segments in the lower side regions which are obliquely disposed to slope upwardly toward the outer edges of the protector afford improved flexibility for following the side configurations for close body conformation.

In the structure disclosed, the harness utilized for securing the chest protector in place on a wearers body has shoulder straps 36 and 37 connected to the shoulder portions 15 and 16 of the protector through means such as suitably anchored metal rings 38 and 39, to which the shoulder straps are desirably adjoined for releasable connection by means such as snap fasteners 40 and 42. The other ends of the shoulder straps 36 and 37 are secured through a yoke 43 to a back strap 44 which extends downwardly and is adjustably slidably connected to a belt 45, which belt is adjustable in length and is anchored to opposite marginal portions of the lower side regions by means such as anchor rings 46 and 47 and snap fasteners 48 and 49.

From the foregoing description and by reference to the accompanying drawings, it may be readily understood that I have provided a chest protector which is devoid of a longitudinal mid-seam and consequently affords improved protection for vital parts of a wearers body, and which, in addition, has flexibility provided by segmented added areas which are shaped and disposed to accomplish improved and closer body conformation, without bulges, and in a manner which affords free body and arm movements for the wearer.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed is:

1. A padded chest protector for use in playing baseball and the like and comprising, in combination, front and back parts of flexible sheet material having edge contours, shaped to conform generally to the front of a wearers body by having a neck receiving recess at the mid-region of the top and portions of externally concave curvature along the upper regions of opposite sides with portions of externally convex curvature adjoined to opposite ends of the neck receiving recess and to adjacent ends of said portions of externally concave curvature, additional adjoined portions of externally convex curvature adjoining the other ends of said portions of externally concave curvature, means peripherally binding the front and back parts together, said protector being divided into a full width upper region, a lower mid-region narrower than the upper region, and oppositely disposed lower side regions by dividing seams passing through adjacent surfaces of the front and back parts and extending upwardly from the bottom on opposite sides of the lateral midregion and diverging outwardly at their upper ends to the upper regions of said portions of externally concave curvature, said upper region and said lower mid-region being divided into segments by seams extending laterally thereof, said oppositely disposed lower side regions being divided into segments by seams extending thereacross and upwardly toward the outside in directions oblique to said lateral seams of the lower mid-region, and said segments being padded between said seams and within said means peripherally binding the front and back parts together.

2. A padded chest protector as defined in claim 1, and wherein the lateral seams of the upper and lower midregions are substantially parallel to one another, and the seams extending across each of the lower side regions are substantially parallel to one another.

3. A padded chest protector as defined in claim 1, and wherein said dividing seams are generally straight and substantially parallel to one another below the positions at which they diverge.

4. A chest protector comprising, in combination, front and back parts of flexible sheet material secured together in face-to-face relationship and having edge contours providing chest, shoulder and body protective portions and intermediate seams providing flexibility for relatively close configuration to the front of a wearers body, two of said intermediate seams extending longitudinally of the lower portions of the front and back parts on opposite sides of the lateral mid-regions thereof and each curved to extend outwardly to the nearer side edge of the parts above the lower portions of said two seams and between said chest and body protective portions of the protector, said shoulder and chest protective portion and the part-of the body protective portion between said two intermediate seams being divided into longitudinally segregated segments by horizontal seams, said body protective portions on opposite sides of said two intermediate seams each being divided into segments by seams extending upwardly and outwardly on opposite sides of said two seams in oblique angular relationship to said horizontal seams, and said segments of the chest and body protective portions between said intermediate seams and on opposite sides of said two intermediate seams each being padded between the front and back parts.

5. A chest protector as defined in claim 4, and wherein a major portion of the oblique seams extending outwardly and upwardly from positions substantially in alignment with the ends of a portion of said horizontal seams.

6. A chest protector as defined in claim 4, and wherein the oblique seams on each side of said two seams are substantially parallel to one another and extend upwardly and outwardly at approximately 45 to the horizontal.

7. A chest protector as defined in claim 4, and wherein said two seams are substantially straight below the longitudinal mid-portion of the protector and are spaced apart a distance approximately a third of the average width of the protector.

8. A chest protector as defined in claim 4, and wherein portions of opposite sides of said front and back parts are concavely curved, and the upper portions of said two intermediate seams extend to the side edges of said parts at positions near the tops of the concavely curved sides.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 245,307 Millet et a1. Aug. 9, 1881 925,851 Sullivan June 22, 1909 1,657,866 Mooney Jan. 31, 1928 

1. A PADDED CHEST PROTECTOR FOR USE IN PLAYING BASEBALL AND THE LIKE AND COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, FRONT AND BACK PARTS OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL HAVING EDGE CONTOURS SHAPED TO CONFORM GENERALLY TO THE FRONT OF A WEARER''S BODY BY HAVING A NECK RECEIVING RECESS AT THE MID-REGION OF THE TOP AND PORTIONS OF EXTERNALLY CONCAVE CURVATURE ALONG THE UPPER REGIONS OF OPPOSITE SIDES WITH PORTIONS OF EXTERNALLY CONVEX CURVATURE ADJOINED TO OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE NECK RECEIVING RECESS AND TO ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID PORTIONS OF EXTERNALLY CONCAVE CURVATURE, ADDITIONAL ADJOINED PORTIONS OF EXTERNALLY CONVEX CURVATURE ADJOINING THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID PORTIONS OF EXTERNALLY CONCAVE CURVATURE, MEANS PERIPHERALLY BINDING THE FRONT AND BACK PARTS TOGETHER, SAID PROTECTOR BEING DIVIDED INTO A FULL WIDTH UPPER REGION, A LOWER MID-REGION NARROWER THAN THE UPPER REGION, AND OPPOSITELY DISPOSED LOWER SIDE REGIONS BY DIVIDING SEAMS PASSING THROUGH ADJACENT SURFACES OF THE FRONT AND BACK PARTS AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE LATERAL MIDREGION AND DIVERGING OUTWARDLY AT THEIR UPPER ENDS TO THE UPPER REGIONS OF SAID PORTIONS OF EXTERNALLY CONCAVE CURVATURE, SAID UPPER REGION AND SAID LOWER MID-REGION BEING DIVIDED INTO SEGMENTS BY SEAMS EXTENDING LATERALLY THEREOF, SAID OPPOSITELY DISPOSED LOWER SIDE REGIONS BEING DIVIDED INTO SEGMENTS BY SEAMS EXTENDING THEREACROSS AND UPWARDLY TOWARD THE OUTSIDE IN DIRECTIONS OBLIQUE TO SAID LATERAL SEAMS OF THE LOWER MID-REGION, AND SAID SEGMENTS BEING PADDED BETWEEN SAID SEAMS AND WITHIN SAID MEANS PERIPHERALLY BINDING THE FRONT AND BACK PARTS TOGETHER. 